30 OCTOBER 1901 - BEESTEKRAAL

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Towards the end of October 1901 Colonel Kekewich decided to deal with a number of Boer laagers within the confluences of the Hex, Elands and Crocodile Rivers.

 

His Intelligence Service reported that the largest laager was at Beestekraal, some 25 miles north-east of Rustenburg, and at 8pm on the 29th he despatched Lt-Col C E Duff with all his mounted men with orders to surprise Beestekraal at dawn, he himself following shortly after with the infantry and baggage.

 

Duff reached his objective at daylight on the 30th. A Boer piquet posted on a kopje on the west of the Crocodile River sighted Duff and fired on him. 

Duff sent a squadron to the kopje and with the rest of his men captured the drifts over the Crocodile, thereby enabling him to take the farmhouse on the eastern bank of the Crocodile with ease.

 

Meanwhile the squadron on the left had surrounded the kopje, where a commando of 70 men, in spite of the vigilance of its piquet, was completely surprised while cooking breakfast and captured!

 

Duff took 78 prisoners (with the loss of only 2 men, both Scottish Horse, severely wounded) and burned the farm buildings and contents.